Grave Peril
by Aaerial15
Summary: When Abby's ex boyfriend and lab assistant bury her alive in her own coffin, Gibbs and his team must defy the odds to rescue their favorite forensic scientist.
1. A Stalker's Escape

**Grave Peril**

**An NCIS fan fic**

_Author's note: I do not own the characters, just the situations involved. All characters are the property of Donald Bellisario and CBS._

**Ch.1 A Stalker's Escape**

It had been a year since he had last talked to her. Michael Mauer was very unhappy with the way things ended between them. He had saved the love of his life, Abby Sciuto from a hitman. He thought he would recive her gratitude. Instead, he was thrown into prison on a five year sentence for criminal violation of a restraining order. He now admitted how much he had miscalculated. Abby was a world class forensic scientist who worked for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was her boss who was to blame. He came between their love when it could have blossomed.

His cellmate was Abby's former assistant. The two realized they had a common enemy, and plotted how they could get out of prison and take revenge on those that put them there to begin with. It was an ambitious plan that would make both the girl and her meddling boss suffer horribly. It was blind luck on their part that Leavenworth Pennitentiary was recently downgraded to a medium security prison. If things went the way they were supposed to, this would be the last night either one of them would spend in this cell.

Light's out was called, and the two slept. Michael Mauer's job before his current prison sentence was cleaning crime scenes, so he had the idea to stage his and his cell mate's deaths. When the morning work detail began, they'd be leaving. Michael thought that he could still convince Abby to love him, but extreme measures would be taken. His cell mate hoped Abby continued to deny him. If she'd minded her own buisness in his mind, a certain NCIS agent would be rotting in prison on a life sentence. He wanted her dead for her persistence in proving Anthony Dinozzo innocent of murder. She had taken away his revenge, so he was going to get some on her.

Morning came, and thanks to some friends, Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling were assigned laundry detail today. Of course, friends meant a selection of guards that Michael Mauer had falsely promised money to when he and Chip were on the outside, provided they look the other way. Chip had offered the same deal to certain prisoners, and it was arranged that the two would hide in the laundry bin that was due to leave the prison that day. The guards that were in on it were assigned security detail, and they lied when the bin was ran through x-ray scanners, saying there was nothing in it but dirty clothes.

At the same time, some prisoners had unloaded two mannequins made to look like the prisoners of 14-d and deposited them on the floor. "You think this is actually going to work for them, Jeff?" one asked his larger companion. The large man beside him laughed and replied, "As long as we get the money Chip promised before they get caught, I really don't give a damn if it works for them or not." That being said, he set the body that had been disguised as Michael Mauer on the floor. "I hope it works, I've only got six months left on my sentence." The smaller man did not want money. Ensign Richard Tyler had been promised early release by Michael Mauer in exchange for his assistance.

The mannequins were life like enough to pass as living people. They were made of a latex and gell mixture that gave the look and feel of skin. Twenty minutes after they left their cells, a prison guard happened to notice the bodies and called it in. Dr. Jennifer Andrews was the M.E called to autopsy the bodies. She took one look at them and became serious. "Who called this in?" she asked. "Guard Trent Riker," a guard replied. The young M.E. laughed. "We have a problem, because these aren't the bodies of two prisoners. These are fakes."

The guard to whom she was speaking immediately pulled his walkie talkie. "Security, we have a possible escape of two prisoners," he announced quickly. There was a brief pause, and someone on the other end responded, "Which prisoners?" The guard shook his head. "They were found in Cell 14-d," he responded. Personnel did a quick check. "Joe, we need to call the feds. The prisoners missing are Charles Sterling and Michael Mauer." Johnathan Davis knew those names. Every guard in C block knew the proceedure that was to be followed if one or both of them escaped. This needed to go straight to the warden.

Michael Mauer smiled at his mutual partner. They had just cleared the prison grounds. "How long you think it'll take before they discover the fake bodies?" Chip asked lightly. "It depends on how well trained the medical staff is. As far as I know, they don't employ particularly experienced doctors, so if I'm right we should have plenty of time to get to D.C." Chip laughed at that. He'd been on the recieving end of a fifteen year sentence due to Abby Sciuto's meddling. Revenge would be sweet. He had particularly enjoyed the fact that what was in store for her was Mauer's doing. The two escapees quickly boarded a Greyhound bus headed east.


	2. Late Night Abduction

**Ch.2 Late Night Abduction**

Thirty-six hours had passed since Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling escaped from Leavenworth. They were currently in Virginia. Mauer felt it necessary to visit a friend who'd known about his relationship with Abby. The escaped cons knocked on the door, and after a brief period, a thirty year old black male answered. "What's up, Michael? I didn't know you were out of prison yet," he said as he shook Mauer's hand. Mauer smiled smugly and replied, "I got released early for good behavior." The two entered his house and Michael went straight to buisness.

"Look, Nate, do you by chance have any GHB?" he asked as soon as they were inside. "What do you need a date rape drug for?" Nathan Davis was apprehensive. He'd been a former drug dealer who retired after doing five years of a ten year sentence. He still knew where to go for drugs, which is why Mauer came to him. "This doesn't have anything to do with that goth girl you dated does it? Cause you screwed up enough with her." Chip wanted to tell this guy to mind his own buisness, but a look from Michael silenced him. "Look, my friend and I just want a quick high," Mauer lied. "Look, that stuff will really mess you up, but anyway, here's the address of someone I know who sells it." Mauer took the paper and was just about to say thank you when Nate suddenly grabbed him around the neck. "Listen Michael, we go back a while. I respect you, but if this comes back to bite me I will hang you out to dry. Do you understand?" Mauer nodded and Nate released him.

Twelve hours later, Abigail Sciuto had just got off from a long day's work. It had been quiet lately at NCIS. Almost slow, one could say. They'd only had three major cases in the past two months. She stopped at Crazy Al's Pub, a reasonable bar that was five minutes from her apartment by foot. She didn't really like heavy drinking, so she just ordered a wine cooler to relax. She had no idea that sitting in a booth in plain sight of her were two old friends. She felt it necessary to visit the ladies room, and as soon as she did, Michael put five grams of GHB in her drink. He then returned to the booth to observe his target.

She returned from the bathroom and began drinking her wine cooler, oblivious to the fact that it had been tampered with. She was about to order a second one when she began to feel whoozy. It hadn't been a difficult day, and she wasn't tired when she entered the bar, so she figured something was wrong. She then began to recognize the effects she was feeling. She could barely pay for her drink. She turned to leave, and it was then that she noticed Mauer and Chip, sitting in a booth in plain sight, but out of the way enough to not be noticed. She stumbled for the door as coherently as she could.

Mauer didn't know he'd been made, but he waited for three minutes after Abby left the bar before motioning to Chip. They followed her out and since he knew where Abby lived, the two escaped cons started for Abby's apartment. She barely was able to conceal her cell phone in her back pocket before collapsing on her couch as soon as she entered. She couldn't even lock the door. She hoped against hope that Michael hadn't seen her leave the bar. If he didn't, she was gonna call her boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs as soon as whatever she'd been drugged with passed in her system.

Chip put on a pair of latex gloves and gave one to his partner. When they were sure no one was watching, Michael went to pick the lock to Abby's apartment, only to find it open. The two entered as quietly as possible. They bound her wrists with rope from their back pack, and brought the coffin from Abby's bedroom. Abby's body spasmed slightly as they placed her inside. It was a spacious enough coffin. Michael admired the craftsmanship. His dark angel deserved nothing less than the best. He deposited a flashlight, a two-way radio, and two tanks of pressurized air. His plan couldn't fail. Surely, given the options, she'd choose him over a torturous death.

Chip put the lid on the coffin, and the two wheeled it outside and into a waiting van as quietly as possible. They left Abby's apartment unlocked. The drive to the cemetary was a quiet twenty minute route. "I've looked forward to this since she ruined my revenge," Chip sneered as they drove. "Hey, there's a good chance we're not going to kill her," Michael replied confidently. "She just needs to come around to my way of thinking." Chip nodded. "And if she doesn't?" he questioned sarcastically. Michael's expression hardened. "If she doesn't, she'll never be seen alive again," he answered grimly.

As they pulled into the cemetary Michael had chosen, Chip made a mental note to get in touch with some of the people Mauer was in touch with. Apparently, he'd been planning this for a while, because there was an unmarked burial plot already chosen. If he weren't looking forward to the pain and suffering Abby was about to endure, he'd have wondered how his partner could have arranged this from prison. His thoughts were put aside as he helped Mauer unload Abby's coffin out of the back of the van. They placed her in the ground, and twenty minutes later, the coffin was covered in dirt.

Abby finally started coming around. The last thing she remembered was passing out on her couch in her apartment. She was sure that she'd been dosed with GHB, and she was quite sure she knew who did it. She'd hoped that seeing Michael was a figment of her imagination, but soon after she'd spotted him was when she started to feel dizzy. She squinted for a while as her vision returned to her, and she looked up to see the satin lined lid of the coffin she called a bed. She immediately began banging on the lid. Michael had buried her alive.


	3. 6 Feet Under

**Ch.3 6 Feet Under**

Abby was surrounded by darkness. Her rational thinking had finally asserted itself, and she'd stopped pounding on the lid. Remembering rule nine, she pulled a knife out of her front pocket and cut her bonds. She began to feel around in her coffin to see if her kidnappers had been careless and left anything, anything at all that she could use to break out. She felt at least two metal cylinders. Compressed air, perhaps. She also felt a small piece of plastic that she knew had to be a flashlight. This was one good thing, at least her kidnappers didn't leave her in the dark. She turned the flashlight on and was now actually able to see.

She was right, Michael and Chip had put two tanks of pressurized air in with her. 'That's comforting,' she thought. They apparently wanted her to last a while. She then brought her attention to the two way radio. She pressed the talk button. "Is anybody there?" she asked, trying to mask the fear in her voice. Michael Mauer smiled from the tent he'd pitched. Chip had suggested that they rent a hotel room, but that idea was abandoned when he was reminded that checking into any kind of public lodging would leave a paper trail. No, Mauer had learned from past mistakes. It was a paper trail that got him caught last time. He put on a brave face, but he was scared shitless of Gibbs. He wanted to make it as difficult as possible for NCIS to track both him and Abby down, which is why she was in an unmarked burial plot.

"I figured I'd be hearing from you soon, Abby." She wanted to scream when she recognized his voice. "Michael!" she yelled angrily. "You are gonna be so dead when Gibbs finds out!" Abby threatened. Michael smiled. "See that's a problem. You're in an unmarked grave, Abby. My partner and I are in the middle of nowhere." Abby supressed her rage as he continued to describe her situation to her. "By the time any one notices you're missing, they won't be able to find you." He was truly riding high. He didn't know that Abby had a few aces up her sleeve.

"You underestimate my friend's ability at solving cases, Michael," she told him smugly. "We bring in criminals ten times smarter than you on a daily basis. So if you think Gibbs won't find you and rescue me, you're about to have a rude awakening." Her faith in Gibbs was unwavering, Michael gave her that. But he'd set this up perfectly. "You know, Abbs, it's ironic that-" "You don't get to call me that, Michael!" Abby cut him off. Michael admired her spirit. "Actually, since I'm above ground and you're under it, I can pretty much call you anything I want." He paused to let that sink in. "As I was saying, it's ironic that our relationship started in a cemetary, and if you don't play your cards right, It'll end in a cemetary, too."

Abby didn't let his taunting effect her focus. She knew if she did, it was the first step to him winning. "Any how, I have a deal you might be interested in, seeing as you don't really have much choice at the moment," Michael continued. Abby was confused. He didn't really think that by doing this she'd come crawling back to him. "What kind of deal?" she asked, feigning interest. Michael was pleased. This was working better than he thought it would. "It's simple, really," he began. "If you agree to go out with me, and not tell Gibbs I've contacted you, Chip and I will dig you up. Refuse, and we'll leave you to rot." He smiled. "The choice is yours," he said threateningly.

Abby thought it over. She figured she could last three days at least with the compressed air. "Go to Hell, Michael!" she screamed. Michael shook his head. "You first," he replied. "I'll talk to you in a few hours, and give you some time to make up your mind." With that, he clicked his radio off, and Abby was alone in her thoughts. Her situation was bleak. One of the aces she had was that she pocketed the glass when the bartender wasn't looking. She'd intended to test it herself and find out what the hell she was drugged with, but that wasn't an option.

She was certain that as soon as she came up missing, Gibbs would check her apartment first. She had hid the glass in her purse, and she knew that they'd find it. A multitude of questions flooded her brain at once. How the hell did he escape from prison? Why was he teaming up with Chip? Why couldn't he leave her the hell alone? She wanted to shout these questions to the dark, but all she got in answer was silence.

That's when she remembered. Her cell phone! She reached into her back pocket, and pulled it out. 'Ok," she thought. They hadn't patted her down or searched her before putting her in the coffin. She pressed the on button, and prayed for a signal. She got one, barely, but it was there. She wasted no time in hitting speed dial one, Gibbs' number. Ring! Ring! She breathed a sigh of relief. It was working. "Pick up, Gibbs! Please pick up," she pleaded.

"Somebody better be dying," Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs barked in annoyance. It was the middle of the night. "Gibbs, it's me," Abby responded. His tone immediately soffened. "Abbs, what's the matter?" The signal was fading. All Gibbs was able do discern was "Need. Help. Buried. Alive." The line went dead. Gibbs was awake now. And he was pissed. He hung up and dialed Dinozzo's number. "Yeah, boss," Agent Anthony Dinozzo answered groggily. "Get your ass out of bed and assemble the team," Gibbs ordered. "We've got problems." He hung up, and Dinozzo hastily began to follow his instructions. He'd never seen Gibbs this pissed, and he wanted to stay on his good side. "Ziva," he said into his phone.


	4. Missing

**Ch.4 Missing**

Ziva David awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. She saw that it was Dinozzo, and she became irritated. "It's four in the morning, Tony! What do you want?" Anthony Dinozzo didn't know why, but Gibbs had told him to assemble the team, and judging by the anger in his voice, he was in no hurry to question his boss. "I don't know, Gibbs just called me and told me to assemble the team." Ziva was less annoyed now. When she thought about it, Dinozzo valued his life too much to risk certain death by disturbing the former Mossad officer's slumber. If it was Gibbs, it meant it was important.

"Ok, Tony. I'll be at the Navy Yard in fifteen." Dinozzo smiled. "Sounds good, I gotta wake Mcgee now," he replied happily. At least he could take some pleasure in his work. Timothy Mcgee answered his phone wearily. "What is it, Tony?" he asked, trying to shake the sleep from his voice. "Good morning, Probie-san," Dinozzo answered happily. "I hate to disturb your rest, Mcgeek, but Gibbs wants us all at the office, and it's not a good idea to keep him waiting right now," Dinozzo replied. Mcgee understood the situation immediately. An angry Gibbs was never a good thing, and better his anger be directed at someone else, than him.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs burst into the squad room at NCIS headquarters. His team stared wide-eyed at his entrance. Dinozzo opened his mouth, but a look from Gibbs cut him off. "Sorry to wake you all, but Abby called me. I couldn't make out anything she was saying except for this." He played a voicemail that he recieved after she called him the first time. "Need. Help. Buried. Alive." was barely discernable from all the static. The room became deathly quiet. "Oh, dear lord," Dr. Donald Mallard said sadly. "Yeah, Duck," Gibbs said. Someone had dared to put Abby in danger. "Well, at least today's not going to be boring," Dinozzo quiped. Gibbs wasted no time smacking him upside his head.

Gibbs went into mission mode with no further delay. "Dinozzo, Ziva, check Abby's apartment. Leave no stone unturned," Gibbs ordered. They quickly left to follow Gibbs' instructions. "Mcgee, can you trace Abby's phone? She just called me, so-" Mcgee took the phone from Gibbs without a second thought and said "On it, boss." The drive to Abby's apartment was a tense one. Ziva and Dinozzo cared as much for Abby as Gibbs did. Ziva was thinking of all the ways she was going to make whoever did it suffer. Tony was already going forty-five, but it didn't seem fast enough.

The silence was deafening. She called Gibbs three more times, without sucess. She was sure that wherever she was, she was too far away from a cell tower to get good reception. She knew for sure she was in a cemetary, but there were five in city limits alone. That wasn't counting the areas of open country in Maryland, away from major cities. She was certain that Michael and Chip wouldn't make it that easy for Gibbs, and bury her in the city. Add the fact that she was underground, and she was surprised she could use her cell phone well even once.

The radio cackled to life without warning. "How are you, my hot, dark angel?" Michael Mauer asked on the other end. Abby seethed. "How do you think I am?" she yelled angrily. Michael laughed. "Whoa, you sound tense. That can't be good for a relationship," he said with mock concern. She wished she could knock the smug look that she knew he was wearing off his face. "Get this through your skull, Michael. We had a relationship. HAD! As in, the past. We have no future, and when Gibbs catches you you'll be lucky to spend the rest of your life eating through a straw!"

"Now, now, no need to overreact. Just admit your true feelings for me and this will all be over." Abby wished she could be there when Gibbs caught him. "The only feelings I have for you is wishing you a very painful death when Gibbs finds you!" she screamed into the radio. Chip smirked. He'd hoped Abby would respond this way. Her stubborness was putting the final nail in her coffin. He made a mental note to get fresh flowers for her grave. "You need more time, I see. Well you should know you only have enough air for about forty-eight hours. I'll check back later, honey." With that, slience resumed in her coffin.

Tony and Ziva had arrived to find Abby's apartment door wide open. The manager had tried to stop them, but backed off when they showed their badges. There were tread marks in the carpet, which suggested something heavy had been moved recently. Though they hated the idea, they went to work as if it were any other crime scene. Tony entered and went straight to the bedroom. "Coffin's gone," he observed. Ziva silenced her fear and worry for Abby as she followed Tony. She noticed a foot print on the carpet that she took a picture of it.

"You know, this reminds me of Kill Bill, volume two," Dinozzo said as they began searching. "That means what to me?" Ziva asked, slightly annoyed that Dinozzo would make a movie reference when Abby, of all people was in danger. "Uma Thurman seeks revenge on Michael Madsen. He ends up drugging her and burying her alive, with nothing but a flashlight." Ziva shook her head angrily. "I take it she found some impossible way out?" she questioned. Tony grinned. "She drew on the teachings of her former master, and broke her way out of the coffin."

"Well, Abby can't do that," Ziva said as the conversation returned to the living room. "Let's not forget that in reality, you'd be crushed by the dirt above you." She saw Dinozzo's smirk leave. He looked past her, to the coffee table where Abby's purse was. He walked to it, and noticed a glass. "Crazy Al's Pub," Ziva read the engraving. "I know that bar. Abby and I have been there." Tony placed the glass in a bag. "Maybe we can talk to the bar owner and get last night's security tapes," Tony said softly. The more they found, the more worried he got. Meanwhile, Director Jenny Shepard had just got a priority message from Leavenworth requesting Gibbs' prescence in MTAC.


	5. Conference From Hell

**Ch. 5 Confrence from Hell**

Timothy Mcgee typed furiously at his keyboard. He'd been trying to trace Abby's cell phone, but was having no luck so far. "Any luck Mcgee?" Gibbs demanded impatiently. He shook his head. "I've been trying to triangulate her position, but I can't locate a cell tower. Boss, she shouldn't have had a signal to make that call," Mcgee responded. It was practically impossible, given the circumstances. "There's just too much interference, Boss." Gibbs looked up to see Jenny looking at him from the upper level. The look on her face said they needed to talk.

"Keep trying, Mcgee," he instructed as he climbed the stairs. Jenny knew there was no stopping Gibbs right now. He was on the warpath, and given her own affection for Abby, she was right there with him. "You going to tell me there's something more important than saving one of our best forensic scientists?" he asked sarcastically. Jenny understood his frustration. "No, Jethro," she said evenly. "I actually came to let you know that you're needed in MTAC. Gibbs nodded, and followed her silently.

Warden Patrick Denton shuffled nervously as he saw Gibbs come into view. "Warden Denton," Gibbs said. "Gibbs, I'm sorry this didn't get to you sooner, but we've had an escape." Gibbs began to see red. "Which prisoners?" he asked. He had a feeling he knew the answer. The warden seemed hesitant. "Well?" Gibbs asked, losing his cool. "The prisoners were in cell 14-d. It's Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling." Gibbs fumed. "Can I ask a question?" he said as levely as he could. "Anything," the warden replied. "Why the hell would you put those two in the same cell together?" Gibbs knew for certain he had suspects now. Suspects that had a grudge against both him and Abby.

Patrick Denton was confused. "Do you even know why your prison was told to contact us if one or both of them escaped?" Director Shepard asked. The warden stood with his mouth open, looking confused. "I thought they were of special interest-" Gibbs cut him off. "Both of those prisoners have a grudge against Abigail Sciuto, one of our top forensic scientists." The warden's confused look left. "I've heard of her. We've got more than a few prisoners due to her abilities." Gibbs wanted to come through the monitor. "Did you know that right now she's buried alive in a coffin somewhere?" he asked, barely holding his temper in check.

"I had no idea," he said sadly. "What can we do to help?" he asked. "Well for one thing, you can send us any evidence you have of their breakout," Gibbs said. Jenny took over, sensing Gibbs' temper flare. "That would be greatly appreciated. We'll be in touch." Gibbs was a cross between angry and worried. "We'll find her, Jethro," Jenny said comfortingly. Gibbs turned to face his director, a look of sure fury all over his face. "Yes, we will," he said. He stormed out of MTAC, already thinking of ways to make Mauer and Chip suffer.

"Mcgee!" Gibbs yelled as he went down the stairs. the computer specialist and junior field agent looked up from his computer. "Yeah, boss," he answered. "Put out a nation wide APB on Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling." Mcgee delayed for a minute as he recognized the names. It couldn't be. Abby's crazy ex boyfriend and Chip? A sharp slap to the back of his head brought him out of his thoughts. "On it, boss," he said as he rushed to follow Gibbs' order. Gibbs' phone went off at that very moment. "Ziva, please tell me you have something." The Mossad officer on the other end nodded her head.

"We found a bar glass in Abby's purse. It's from Crazy Al's Pub, a bar within walking distance of her apartment." Gibbs was happy to catch a break. "You and Tony go see if you can get the security tapes from last night. Also tell Tony we have suspects." Ziva's eyes lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning. Dinozzo noticed this and began to get fearful. "Really, who?" Ziva asked. She nodded, and Dinozzo became interested. Ziva hung the phone up and turned to her partner. "Gibbs says he's sure he knows who did it." Dinozzo smiled. "Who's the soon to be dead man?" he asked gleefully.

"Michael Mauer and Chip Sterling." This was bad. The last time he'd been around Chip, he'd been framed for murder and came within inches of a life sentence. "When did they break out?" he asked worriedly. Ziva shook her head. "Apparently they escaped from Leavenworth thirty-six hours ago." she answered. Dinozzo wished he could get his hands on them at that moment. "Gibbs told us to go to Crazy Al's," Ziva said. Dinozzo nodded and the two left. They stopped at the manager's to inform him that Abby's apartment was a crime scene, they'd blocked the door with police tape. He nodded and said they'd recieve his utmost cooperation.

They entered the bar, and Ziva went straight to the owner. He recognized her and said happily, "Ahh, Ms. David." She smiled and corrected him. "It's Da-veed," she said. He shrugged. "Listen, you remember seeing a goth girl here last night?" she asked. The man smiled. "Oh, yes, Abby. She looked sick when she left. She could barely pay for her drink." Dinozzo stepped in. "What did she have to drink?" he asked. The bartender quickly answered, "She had a wine cooler, but she stumbled out after she drank it." Ziva got serious. "Did you see anyone mess with her drink?" she asked.

He led the Ziva and Dinozzo to the back room. "I assume you want to see this?" he asked as he pulled a tape labled 12:00-2:30a.m. They watched the tape in silence. Ziva was the first to notice Michael Mauer slip the bartender who was working last night what looked to be money. Dinozzo fought the urge to vomit as they watched Mauer slip something in Abby's drink. "Who is the bartender?" Ziva asked angrily. She looked forward to his interrogation. "His name is Trent Johnson," the owner replied. "Can we take this to our office?" she asked. He nodded yes. "It's your's," he replied. They quickly drove back to the office, to show Gibbs what they had found.

Abby found it hard to keep track of time. She was sure she'd been underground for at least eight hours, and it was starting to get to her. The two way remained silent, and she spent her time praying that Gibbs would find her in time. She'd remembered watching Kill Bill volume two with Tony, and it scared her that she was living a particular part of the movie. The only difference was she was the revenge target, not the revenge seeker.


	6. Few Leads

**Ch.6 Few Leads**

Gibbs studied the plasma screen intently. The security tape was clear enough for recognition. "Mcgee," he barked impatiently. The agent looked up from his computer. "Yeah, boss?" he asked hesitantly. "Put out a BOLO on Trent Johnson." Ziva and Dinozzo were at their desks, waiting for a break. "Already done, boss," Mcgee replied. He handed Gibbs a printout that contained his last known address. "Ziva, I want you watching Crazy Al's Pub. If he comes to work, call me." Ziva nodded and headed for the elevator.

"Dinozzo, you're with me," Gibbs continued. "We're going to check the last known address." Gibbs and Tony grabbed their sidearms as they followed. "On your six, boss," Tony answered as they hit the elevator. Mcgee continued trying to triangulate Abby's location. He was making progress, but it was too difficult to home in on her signal. He made a silent promise to Abby and himself that he would find her. At the present moment, he had narrowed it down to any of twenty possible locations. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. He didn't give in to frustration, and kept trying.

Abby had been fighting sleep and losing. She was sure that she'd been underground for twelve, maybe fourteen hours. She needed food and water, which they didn't leave her. As a result of barely being able to move her arms, her muscles were becoming painfully stiff. Air wasn't a problem yet, but that would change. Every minute was spent fighting the urge to pound the coffin lid until she could pound no more, but she knew if she did that she would just waste her energy, and more importantly, air. "Come on, Gibbs," she silently pleaded. "Please find me."

The two way suddenly cackled to life. "How's it going, Ma'am?" Chip asked on the other end. He remembered working with her that she hated being called ma'am. "How do you think it's going?" came a half angry reply. Chip could sense the defeat in her voice. He decided to press the issue. "I just want you to know that after this is over, I'm going to have a very nice tombstone placed at your grave site." Abby shuddered at the thought. "Is there anything you'd like it to say? It's only fair since you're the deceased," he taunted cruelly.

Abby didn't know which was worse, Michael's obsession with her being with him or Chip's obsession with revenge. If there was one good thing about the taunting, she was finding her strength again. It was rekindling the hope that she'd be rescued. "Why don't you save it for when Gibbs finds you?" she snapped. "I'm sure he'll have no trouble shoving it up your ass!" Chip was surprised. She had a lot of faith in Gibbs, he gave her that. He tried a different approach. "How about it says here lies Abby Sciuto. She was too meddlesome for her own good."

Abby was beyond furious. "What the hell did you think I was gonna do?" she asked angrily. "Just let you frame Tony?" Chip smirked. "You should have. But this is good. Knowing that you're trapped, with no one to help you, and about to die a very frightening death is payback enough for what you did." Those words hit home for her, but she refused to give in. "Gibbs is going to find you," she threatened. She wasn't surprised to hear Chip laugh. "And when he does, you're gonna wish for death," she continued. He laughed harder. "Who do you think gave Michael the idea to bury you in the first place?"

Abby's fear was heightened. "What do you mean?" she asked fearfully. "Think, Abby. We were cell mates at Leavenworth. When he told me you two met in a cemetary, I gave him the idea to use it to get you back." The pieces were falling into place. This wasn't Michael's plan. It was Chip's. "How did you two even get out of prison?" she questioned. The silence was getting to her, so she figured she might as well make conversation. Even if it was with someone she utterly despised.

Ziva had been watching Crazy Al's Pub for the past three hours now. Her quarry had not come to work yet, and she was getting anxious. She wanted to be in the room when he was interrogated. Between her and Gibbs, they'd have to stop each other from wringing his neck. She finally saw him cross the street in front of her and enter the bar. It was about to be a good day.

"What the hell are you doing here?" the Al of Crazy Al's Pub asked angrily as he entered. He looked confused. His attention was directed to a tv with vcr that clearly showed him taking a bribe from Michael Mauer. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, you're fired!" his boss yelled. He turned to leave, and ran right into Ziva. He tried to head to the side door and found a waiting Dinozzo. Just as he turned to head to the back, Gibbs came out swinging. A single punch and the man was unconscious on the floor. Ziva was only too happy to cuff him. "Thanks for your help," Gibbs said as they hauled him out. The owner smiled. "I was gonna fire him anyway. That's the fourth time he's been late this month."

Abby had finally forcibly ended her conversation with Chip by turning him off. She wished she could see his frustration when he realized he was talking to himself. He liked to talk, and it annoyed her to no end. She tried to call Mcgee for a change and was surprised to hear him pick up. "Abby?"


	7. Finding the Truth

**Ch.7 Finding the Truth**

"Abby?" Timothy Mcgee could barely talk straight. "Mcgee, I don't have much time," Abby said. Mcgee contained his joy. "Just keep talking, Abs. I'm tracking your signal." He stepped up the typing, as the beeping increased. "You have to find me, Tim. Chip is crazy." Mcgee smiled. "And that's news how, exactly?" he asked with a laugh. He had narrowed it down to five possible locations. Abby was all but jumping for joy in her coffin. Rescue was so close she could taste it. "I'm almost there, Abs," Mcgee said happily. Sadly, Abby did not hear it, as her phone's battery was dead. "Abby? Abs?" Mcgee had been so close.

"I want my lawyer." Trent Johnson rubbed his jaw from where Gibbs had punched him. As a reward to Ziva, Gibbs let her conduct the interrogation. She laughed. "I think that would be a wise choice. Did you know the girl who bought that drink is in serious danger?" He began to crack at the news. "The guy told me it was just for fun," he tried to explain. It only served to infuriate Ziva more. "Just for fun! JUST FOR FUN! She's buried alive in a coffin right now!" She slammed her hand down on the table. Trent balked as he saw a dent from where her fist had been.

"I had no idea, I swear," he said slowly. He was begging now. Ziva pressed the advantage. "As of right now we have you as accesory to the attempted murder of a federal employee. Your only chance at not going down with the ship is to tell me everything you know about these men." She slid pictures of Michael Mauer and Chip Sterling across the table. He looked at Mauer's photo carefully. "This is the guy that paid me to look the other way." Dinozzo laughed in observation. "Not good enough," Ziva said threateningly. He thought for a minute.

_"Me and my buddy Chip over there are going camping on the Appalachian Plateau for a few days." _Trent looked pleadingly at Ziva. "He told me they were going camping at the Appalachian Plateau, ma'am." Ziva brought her fist withing inches of his face. "Did he by any chance tell you what he put in her drink?" she asked. He shrugged. "I have no idea. He said that she was an old friend and she needed a pick me up." Just then, a forensic scientist informed Dinozzo of the test on the glass.

"It's GHB," he said through the microphone. Ziva looked straight in his eyes. "If my friend dies, I will end you," she spat.

Gibbs walked into the squad room at just the right time. "Boss, I've been able to narrow Abby's location down to three possible locations. First there's Jeffery's Memorial in Maryland. Second is the Smith Family Mausoleum in West Virginia. And the third is kind of unknown. I couldn't find anything." Gibbs patted him on the back. "Just give me the coordinates. Ziva, Dinozzo and I will take the unknown." Mcgee gave him the coordinates, and Gibbs was about to call his team when Jenny stopped him. "Any luck finding Abby?" she asked, trying to hold on to hope.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is. Mcgee just narrowed it down to three possible locations." Jenny smiled. She knew Gibbs would do it. "Send teams to these coordinates," he instructed. "Right away," Jenny answered. "My team and I will take the third. Have them radio me if they find her." Jenny nodded. "Will do, Jethro." With that, Gibbs left to assemble his team.

Ducky paced continuously in autopsy. He couldn't imagine what Abby was going through at this very moment. Medically, of course he knew exactly what was in store for her. When her air ran out, she would suffer agonizingly from asphyxia. She would slowly suffocate. It was a fate he wouldn't wish on anyone, let alone someone he held so close. If Gibbs considered himself Abby's unofficial father, Ducky sometimes thought of himself as her grandfather. He secretly wished that Gibbs would end up killing at least one, but preferably both of them. He remembered speaking to Gibbs about it, and his instructions were similar to what he told Gibbs after the team's first encounter with Ari Haswari. "I want them on my autopsy table, Jethro," he'd said grimly.

Abby had been formulating a plan ever since her phone died. She hoped it lasted long enough for Mcgee to find her. Her plan was gutsy to say the least. She wanted out of the coffin. What she was about to attempt was crazy, but if it worked, she'd be home free. She turned on her two-way. "Michael, I'm ready to negotiate," she said into the darkness." Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Michael Mauer smiled.

The drive to the middle of nowhere was taking longer than anticipated. It was at least the second day since Abby had been buried. The entire team was on edge, though they tried not to show it. "Are you sure this is the right place, Mcgee?" Dinozzo had called Mcgee every ten minutes since they left. Mcgee never changed the image on his screen, where the third blip blinked repeatedly. "Yes Tony, I'm sure." Gibbs decided to interject himself. "Dinozzo!" Tony jumped at Gibbs' tone. "Yeah, boss," he said carefully. "If you pester Tim one more time, I'll smack you so hard your head will roll." Mcgee laughed, as he was on speaker and could hear the entire conversation. "I can completely live with that, Boss," Dinozzo said. "My point exactly, Dinozzo." Ziva smirked. They pulled up to the coordinates and quickly groaned. There were at least 10 different cemetaries in this one area.


	8. Abby's Deception

**Ch.8 Abby's Deception**

"Michael, I'm ready to negotiate." Michael Mauer smiled. His partner was sound asleep, so he wouldn't interrupt. "I'm so happy to hear you say that, Abby," he said happily. Abby could barely choke the lies she was attempting to tell. "Maybe I was too rash in dumping you," she said. Her voice oozed enthusiasm. She tried to lay it on thick enough to be beliveable, but not so thick as to sound completly fake. "I would be so happy if you would dig me up, and give me another chance as your girlfriend," she continued.

Michael was almost buying it. It sounded too good to be true. This was a woman who not six hours ago was wishing death upon him. He figured he'd test her with something he was sure she'd say no to. "So what you're saying is, that when I dig you up you'll marry me?" he casually asked. Abby fought the urge to puke. She figured he'd test her, but she had no idea he'd go there. She tried to sound as excited as possible. "Of course I'll marry you, but you have to dig me up first."

Gibbs, Dinozzo and Ziva balked at the work ahead of them. "This is gonna be like looking for a pin in a stack," Ziva commented. Dinozzo smiled. "I think you mean, 'needle in a haystack'," he corrected. Gibbs was glad at the interaction. Levity took their focus off the worry. Ziva smiled and playfully punched Tony in the arm. "Shovels," Gibbs said as he pulled three out of the trunk of the car. He handed one each to Tony and Ziva and kept a third for himself. He quickly hit a button on his phone as Ziva and Tony headed to the nearest grave. "Duck, you and Palmer need to get out here," he said. Ducky smiled. "We're on our way, Jethro," he said happily. He turned to his assistant. "To the truck, Mr. Palmer," he said in a way that sounded to fun to be an order.

"So as soon as we dig you up, you and I go to Vegas to get hitched," Michael said. It was more like an order than an option. Abby could tell that much from his tone. She had to string him along as long as possible. "I would love that, Michael," she replied. She felt she was putting on a performance worthy of the Oscars. Michael smiled. He was sure she wasn't lying now. If she were just telling him what he wanted to hear, surely she would have dropped the ball at his suggestion of marriage. "See you in a few hours, babe," he said. He kicked Chip awake. "Wake up, we're digging her up." Chip was confused. "Why?" he asked. "She gave in," Michael answered.

Dinozzo grunted as he lifted yet another shovelful of dirt out of the unmarked plot he was currently digging up. Gibbs instructed them to focus on graves that had no tombstones, as it was less likely that they would disturb someone's resting place. To speed things up, each of them took one grave at a time. Dinozzo was on his second. "Not to complain, boss, but this seems too slow," he said. He'd stopped digging as he spoke. Gibbs shot him a threatening glance. "Dinozzo, we don't have time for this. Every second you spend whining is a second closer to Abby dying." Dinozzo immediatly resumed digging.

Abby had realized her phone was not dead. She sighed in relief. She decided she wasn't going to try calling, as her battery was on it's last bar. Then it came to her. She could text. Texting wasn't handled by cell towers, and she could do it even if she couldn't call. She hit Mcgee's number and typed a quick message. Back at the navy yard, Mcgee never left his computer. His cell phone was at the ready, in case Gibbs need anything or Abby tried to call again. He almost fell out of his chair when his phone went off.

It wasn't a call. He was getting a text message. He recognized the number as Abby's and his face lit up. He pressed enter. _"Tim, tell Gibbs he won't have to search for me, and to be ready. The dogs are coming to him."_ He knew what that meant. Somehow, Abby had tricked Mauer and Chip into coming to dig her up. What she couldn't possibly know was that Gibbs was already there. He hit speed dial without a moment's delay.

Gibbs put his shovel down so he could answer his phone. "Yeah, Mcgee," he said, much to the confusion of Tony and Ziva. He nodded once, and then smiled a smile that didn't look happy. "What's up, Boss?" Dinozzo questioned. He simply laughed and said, "We have to get these graves covered. Abby tricked them into coming. They can't know we're here." Ziva and Tony hesitated. "Move, we have about three hours." With that, the three began covering the holes.


	9. RIP Abigail Sciuto?

**Ch.9 R.I.P Abigail Sciuto?**

It had been three hours since Abby had talked to Michael Mauer. He said he was on his way to her grave to dig her up. He must have been really far away, Abby reasoned. But the pressing problem was that it was getting harder to breathe. She knew she was running out of air, and as a result, she was slowly dying. She began drifting in and out of consciousness, and she was having dreams.

_There was a pounding on the coffin lid, and Abby began to get excited. "Gibbs, I knew you'd come," she said as the coffin was opened. He smiled a half joyous, half sad smile. "Of course I came, Abby," he said. "I always will." Ducky moved into Abby's view. He extended his hand. "Let's get you out of there, Abigail." She gladly took his hand and together Gibbs and Ducky pulled her out of the coffin. She made eye contact with Tony and Ziva, and mouthed a silent thank you to each of them. She smirked as she saw Michael and Chip, side by side, handcuffed. She looked straight into their eyes and said, "Told you Gibbs would find me." Dinozzo and Ziva hauled them to their feet, and read them their rights. All was right with the world, except..._

She came to. Tears streamed down her face as she realized she was still in the coffin. This was the third time she'd had this dream in the past four hours. What was taking so long? She was sure that Michael didn't want his future wife to die before he could marry her. In the meantime, Gibbs silently paced. He, too, was wondering why Michael and Chip hadn't shown yet. They were the only ones who knew exactly where Abby was buried. The anticipation of very painfully forcing them to dig her up was almost too much. Tony glanced at Gibbs, and wondered how he concealed it.

Abby silently stared at the lid of the coffin. She didn't even use the two way, she couldn't afford the air. And worse, her flashlight was showing signs of dying. She silently begged, "Please, don't put me in the dark. I'll be a good girl, I swear. Just don't put me in the dark." Sadly, her prayers fell on deaf ears, as the flashlight flickered a few times, then went out. Abby tried to supress her feelings of hopelessness. She couldn't bare it any longer. Again, she felt herself falling asleep. She tried to fight it, because she was worried that she might not wake up this time. But she couldn't fight the weariness, and succumed once again to unconsciousness.

_She could hear the shovels scraping as her friends, her family dug her out. As soon as Ziva saw the coffin, she put her shovel down and punched a hole in it. Abby smiled. The former Mossad had grown on her since she joined the team. "What took you?" she asked playfully as Ziva opened the coffin and pulled her out. Ziva smiled and said, "Oh, nothing much, just taking out the trash." Abby followed Ziva's gaze to Michael and Chip, who were unconcious and bleeding. "I kicked each of them below the belt for you," Ziva said with a smile. She hugged Gibbs, who was waiting by an ambulance. She was finally-_

Abby came to again, and pounded the lid of her coffin in frustration. She was beginning to lose her mind. She was certain she'd never be the same again, and the thought of her not being her cheerful self sent her deeper into despair. It was too much. Above ground, Tony was the first to notice a set of headlights moving in their direction. As the vehicle turned into the cemetary, his hopes were dashed that it was Michael and Chip. It was just Ducky and Palmer in one of the standard NCIS 4x4 trucks. Following a word with Gibbs, the truck was parked out of immediate sight.

_The scraping of shovels got louder, as the lid of the coffin was exposed. Abby could hardly contain her joy as Anthony Dinozzo opened the lid. As he pulled her out, she hugged him and said, "I'm never watching Kill Bill vol. two again." He figured as much. "I don't blame you, Abbs. Gibbs is up the hill." Abby playfully nudged him in the shoulder. "What are we waiting for?" she asked. "Lets"-_

Returning to consciousness was becoming harder now. She tried to focus all of her energy on staying awake. Gasping for air, she began tearing the inside of the coffin lid. "Gibbs, you got to find me. You've got to..." she couldn't finish the thought, as she fell asleep again. Gibbs was in position. A car was pulling up and he recognized the occupants. He communicated to his team with hand signals, and took position as the vehicle was surrounded.

Ziva cluched her Sig, she had been waiting for this. Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling had no idea that they were as good as caught. She moved behind the car at Gibb's signal, staying as low to the ground as possible. She could see Tony moving on the opposite side, and within moments she was in position. Gibbs nodded, and the three NCIS agents revealed themselves to the surprised occupants.

"NCIS! FREEZE!" Gibbs ordered. Michael Mauer almost hit the roof, he jumped so high. Chip was beyond furious. All of his careful manipulation, and they'd still been caught. He made a move for the passenger door, and was headed off by Tony. "Put your hands where I can see them," Dinozzo ordered, pointing his sidearm at Chip's head. Chip would not accept defeat. He pulled his fist back to punch Tony, and heard the click of a second gun from behind him. "Give me an excuse, yes," Ziva dared him. He froze, and offered no further resistance as Tony pulled him from the car.

At the same time, Michael Mauer had been bodily yanked out of the driver's side door by Gibbs. He opened his mouth to talk, to attempt to reason with Gibbs. He was met by Gibbs' boot at his throat. Gibbs pointed his gun at Michael's head and began in a very angry voice, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in your head right now!" Mauer tried to respond, which made Gibbs press harder on his throat, cutting off his air supply. "Don't bother, I already have a very good reason." Michael's face showed relief. "I'm going to ask this question once, and do be truthful," Gibbs continued. Mauer nodded his head yes. He would indeed cooperate. "Where's Abby's grave?" Gibbs questioned.

Ten minutes later, Dinozzo and Gibbs were digging in the right spot. Ziva was left in charge of guarding the prisoners. "This was almost perfect," Chip said. Ziva grabbed him by the collar. "I promise you, if she dies, you will join her," she threatened. Michael looked at Chip. "Maybe this would be a good time to shut up," he instructed his partner. Ziva released him. "Yes, that would be an excellent idea," she said angrily. "We've reached the coffin," Gibbs said with a tone of urgency in his voice. Dinozzo put his shovel down and helped Gibbs pry it open. "Ducky! Get down here!" Gibbs yelled.

Donald Mallard wasted no time in rushing to Gibbs' side. He practically jumped down the hole. "What is it, Jethro?" he asked, trying to mask his worry. Gibbs shook his head. "She's not breathing, Duck."


	10. Not Out of the Woods

**Ch.10 Not out of the Woods**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs gestured frantically as his M.E joined him in the hole. "Is there a pulse, Jethro?" Ducky asked, a renewed sense of urgency in his voice. Gibbs felt her wrist for a moment. "Yeah, Duck. But it's faint." Gibbs wasted no further time. As he began CPR, Ducky shouted, "Call an ambulance, Mr. Palmer!" Jimmy Palmer had already taken the liberty. "One's already on the way, doctor." Ducky smiled. He thought of Palmer as an apprentice of sorts, and his pupil had learned well. Above ground, Chip chose this most unfortunate time to gloat.

"Looks like we still win," he said with a sneer. As if saying it weren't enough, he made the mistake of directing his comment at an already pissed off Ziva David. She lunged, and Dinozzo could barely stop her. "Ziva," he began, his voice dripping as much anger as she felt towards Abby's would-be murderers. "Don't do it. He's baiting you." Ziva realized that Tony was right. He obviously wanted to be able to claim in court that a member of Gibbs' team had assaulted him in some way. She settled down, and Dinozzo released her. "Don't worry," she said. "You'll make it to court in one piece."

Twenty minutes later the ambulance had arrived. Gibbs relayed CPR to one of the paramedics as they determined how they were going to get a much needed stretcher down the hole and back. Dinozzo climbed into the hole to offer his assistance, and together with Gibbs and three paramedics, they managed to lift Abby's body from the hole and place her on a waiting stretcher above ground. She'd finally started breathing on her own again, though very shallow. Add to that the fact that she was still unconscious, and things didn't look good.

"I'm going with Abby," Gibbs said as they loaded her in. "Dinozzo, Ziva, take our guests back to the Navy Yard. Make sure they have first class accomodations in our interrogation room." Ziva snatched the keys from Gibbs' hand. For once Dinozzo didn't mind that Ziva would be driving. "I'm driving," she said as a cheshire-cat grin appeared on Tony's face. He looked directly at their prisoners and said, "Nice knowing you." Michael looked confused as he was put in the back of the 4x4. The two NCIS agents climbed in front and they were off. Gibbs and Ducky smirked as screams of pain were heard from the back as the truck raced to civilization.

Timothy Mcgee paced in the waiting room of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Gibbs had called with the news that they had rescued Abby, but she wasn't clear of danger yet. He was wondering what was taking so long when without warning, his boss appeared. "Is Abby alright?" he questioned. Gibbs replied in a comforting voice, "She's alive." Mcgee tried to question further but Gibbs cut him off. "The paramedics think she's in a coma." This was bad. He silently blamed himself. Things like "If I'd only been faster" were all he could think about.

Gibbs picked up on his distress and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Settle down, Mcgee. She'll make it." Tim followed his boss' instructions, as they waited for word on Abby's condition. Meanwhile, Tony and Ziva had arrived at their destination. "Alright, everybody out!" Dinozzo ordered as they opened the back to retrieve their prisoners. The two men could barely stand. Ziva smiled gleefully at the damage she'd caused. She had put them through the ringer. They stumbled forward as they were escorted to a waiting interrogation room.

Eventually the entire team was in the waiting room, Director Shepard included. Doctor Andrew Miller made his way to the party, with a grim look on his face. "What news do you have, doctor," Ducky asked as politely as possible. There was no easy way to say this, so he tried to be as calm and collected as possible. "Miss Scuito is in a very deep coma," he began, looking at each person as he spoke. "We have her on life support right now, but there's a ninety percent chance that if she doesn't wake by morning she won't wake at all. Is anyone here qualified to make the call if it comes to that?"

As much as it broke his heart, Gibbs stepped forward without a moment's hesitation. "I am, doctor," he answered. "You're listed as next of kin according to her medical records," Dr. Miller responded. Gibbs smiled and said, "She's like a daughter to me. I hope I don't have to do this, but I'll do what is necessary. Every one in the room suddenly looked to Gibbs. They didn't envy the position he was in. "I suggest you all say goodbye, just in case," the doctor continued.


	11. Saying Goodbye

**Ch.11 Saying Goodbye**

It was as if she was watching herself in a movie. Abby was aware of everything that was going on, yet for some reason, she had no control over her body. She knew she was out of the coffin, and for that she was imeasurably happy. She had heard the doctors in her room come to the conclusion that if she wasn't awake in the morning she should be taken off life support. "This can't be all for nothing," she silently said to herself. She had endured this much, there was no way she was going to get out of that coffin just to die in the hospital. She wouldn't allow it.

Anthony Dinozzo hesitated as he was about to enter Abby's room. Abby was not just Gibbs', but everybody's favorite. Nobody was looking forward to saying goodbye to her, so they drew straws to decide the order in which they would go. Tony had the honor of drawing the shortest straw, which meant he got to go first. He clutched the piece of plastic in his hand as he finally drew up the courage to open the door. There she was, sleeping silently. Unconsciously, she saw Dinozzo enter and she wished she could come to.

"Oh, Abbs," Tony began, barely able to avoid shedding tears. "Why did this have to happen to you of all people?" he questioned of himself. "Of all the people I've ever known in my life, I've never been closer to you. You might as well be my own sister, I love you so much." He paused, ever so briefly as fresh tears began falling. He choked up a sob as he continued. "I have no idea how I'm going to go on, without seeing the beauty of your smiling face every day." As Abby silently watched in limbo, she became determined to wake up. She couldn't, no she wouldn't end it like this.

Tony could bear it no longer. He turned around and left the hospital, and upon reaching the waiting room nodded to Mcgee that it was his turn. Tim dutifully stood and as he passed, hugged his longtime friend. He entered and took the sight of Abby's room in. "You were always beautiful when you were sleeping," he said sadly. He sat at her bedside and took her hand in his. "I refuse to think of this as goodbye," he said, as if he knew someone was listening. "Abby, you're a fighter. You always have been. I know you're gonna pull through. You have to." He tried to stop the tears, but it wasn't happening. Abby wished she could sit up right then and let Tim know how much she cared.

A few minutes passed and it was Ziva's turn. She'd always buried her emotions, but her time with NCIS had slowly broken her of that habit. "I want you to know, how special you've been in the years I've known you," she said. Her face appeared devoid of emotion, but anyone in the room could have heard the despair in her voice. "I've always admired how brave you were," she continued. "After all, it takes guts to slap me, and you have plenty of guts." Ziva stroked her head as she continued. "I never thought that saying goodbye could be so difficult. Not even when I killed Ari to save Gibbs." She felt tears coming, and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "No matter what happens, you will always have a special place in my heart. Shalom, my friend."

Abby became more determined. She wasn't able to speak, but that would change. She focused all her energy into moving her fingers. Ziva's speech had empowered her. She would see the Israeli again, come Hell or high-water. She tried for five hours without success, when the feeling began to return to her fingers and toes. As she began moving them ever so slightly, it was Ducky's turn to say goodbye. He entered the room and as soon as he did, Abby wanted to jump for joy. "Oh, Abigail," he began sadly. "In all the years we've known each other, I hoped it would never come to this."

He grasped her hand, as Mcgee had done before him, and kissed her ever so slightly on the cheek. "If this is indeed the end, I shall see to it that bagpipes are played at your funeral." He smiled as he contemplated the fate that surely awaited Michael Mauer and Chip Sterling if Abby were to die. "If there is a bright side, you can bet those two will be visiting my autopsy table in the near future." He felt her pinky move, but dismissed it as wishful thinking. Abby focused more as Ducky left the room, the only sound being the EKG machine beeping.

Up until now, Gibbs had refused to say goodbye. He knew in his heart that Abby would pull through. As the hours droned on and sunlight began pouring into the room, he decided to speak to Abby for what he hoped would not be the last time. As was customary, the first thing he did upon entering her room was place a jumbo-sized Caf-Pow on her night stand. "This," he said as he sat at her bedside, "is for you." The doctor poked his head in to see if there was any indication that his patient had improved. Abby's toes moved ever so slightly, but the doctor did not notice.

As he moved towards the machines, he attempted to touch Abby's Caf-Pow. Gibbs grabbed his arm, trying not to cause pain and warned, "Touch that and I'll remove your arm." The doctor was in no rush to anger this man, and removed his hand. "I'm sorry, but it's time." Gibbs shook his head. "That's for me to decide. I'll be damned if she dies before I get the chance to say goodbye." His voice was surprisingly calm given the circumstances. "Abbs, I love you so much. If there's any part of you that can hear me, I beg you, don't. Don't make me make this call."

Getting no respose after twenty minutes, he began to accept fate. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was in prime position, the entire team crowded the small room. As he began to nod, his signal to the doctor, Abigail Sciuto's eyes flashed open. "Don't do it, doc," he instructed. The doctor nodded, as Abby said her first words in over forty-eight hours that weren't directed to a two-way radio. "Gibbs!"


	12. Abby's Revival

**Ch.12 Abby's Revival**

"Gibbs!" Abby tried to sit up, she was uncomfortable lying on her back. "Take it easy, Abbs," Gibbs instructed. He pressed a button on the side of her bed and soon she was upright. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep on my back for a long time," Abby said. Gibbs smiled. "I don't blame you. I'd react the same way." Gibbs leaned forward and gave Abby her first hug in forty-eight hours. She looked at the rest of the team. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" she asked.

Two hours went by, and everyone but Gibbs went home to get some much needed rest. Dinozzo, for one, was glad for the break. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been worked so hard. As soon as he hit his bed, he was out. Visions of what Gibbs was going to do to the unfortunate souls who were currently in lockup danced in his head. "How did you know we were there?" Gibbs asked as Abby drank her Caf-Pow. Abby shrugged. "I didn't," she replied. "I was trying to trick them into digging me up by telling Michael what he wanted to hear."

Gibbs laughed. They were dumb enough to keep in contact with her. "They left me with a two-way radio in my coffin," Abby said. Gibbs continued to smile as his forensic scientist continued. "He wanted me to go out with him again, and not tell you," she said with a smile. Gibbs almost fell out of his chair laughing. "Did you tell them that was never gonna happen?" he asked. Abby laughed as she answered, "I did. They thought I would give in." She stopped smiling as she spoke. "I almost did, several times. But the one thing that stopped me was you. I knew you'd find me." Gibbs tried to keep from breaking down. "I always will, Abby," he answered. Abby didn't realize until then how tired she was. She felt like she hadn't slept in weeks, and she passed out. Gibbs fell asleep as well. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Ziva had found herself unable to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking of what Abby went through. It was getting to the point that she was imagining herself in Abby's place underground. She wanted to kill the two dirt bags who inflicted this kind of psychological trauma on one of her closest friends. But then, killing them would be too easy. She was hoping Gibbs would allow her to use certain Mossad tactics to make them wish they were dead, but she doubted he would. He probably had his own plans, and she'd be lucky if he gave her a small sliver of the whole thing.

Michael Mauer paced furiously in the small room he'd been deposited in. Of course, a more accurate description of his movement would be limping, as his body was still feeling the effects of Ziva's driving. His plan had been perfect. He had planned everything to perfection. There was no way NCIS could have known they were coming to dig Abby up, unless... "She played you, man." Chip stated what Michael himself refused to believe. "No... she loves me," he responded. His tone of voice suggested that even he didn't believe it. Chip on the other hand was furious, though he was not showing it. He had carefully manipulated his partner for several months of their incarceration.

Chip realized he underestimated Abby. He knew she was faking, even told Michael so several times as they drove back to civilization. He refused to believe him, and now they were certainly going back to prison. He hoped he got a different cell mate this time, someone he could easily manipulate without such an obsession that interfered with his own. As far as he was concerned, Michael Mauer had no usefulness any more. The two sat in silence, waiting for the time in the near future when Gibbs was going to burst through that door.

Surprisingly, Abby got a good six hours of sleep. She was relieved that she had no nightmares, which was astonishing considering what she'd been through. She was going to let Gibbs sleep, but as soon as he heard her movement, he woke himself up. "We've got a long day ahead of us. You're not coming in today." It was a command that left no room for negotiation. And yet, Abby figured she'd try. "Look, I'm fine, Gibbs. I agree with no work, but can I at least watch from observation when you tear those two new ass holes?" Her tone had all the brightness of a child coming down for Christmas morning.

"Ok, Abbs, if you're sure you're up to it." Gibbs couldn't completely say no to her. With that, he went to the doctor to secure Abby's release from the hospital. "Miss Sciuto, are you sure about this?" he asked as he held the clip board. "Oh, I'm totally sure. Besides, I warned both of them that I was going to watch Gibbs have fun. I would hate to be a liar." The doctor conceded defeat. "Ok, but I recomend you use a wheel chair while you're away." Abby shook her head as she tried to get out of bed. It wasn't happening. Her legs needed to regain their strength. "Ok, bring me a wheel chair," she asked politely. Nothing, not even Hell on Earth was going to stop her from watching Gibbs make those two wish they'd never been born.


	13. The Reckoning

**Ch. 13 The Reckoning**

The wheels rolled silently as Abby was assisted into the elevator at NCIS Headquarters. She wore a smile larger than the Grand Canyon as she sat in a chair that she'd personally modified. If she had to be in it, it might as well fit her tastes. She'd attached spikes to the arm rests and wheels. It looked like the wheelchair from Hell, and yet it's occupant did not have the demeanor. She was giddy. "Make sure the popcorn has extra butter," she instructed as Dinozzo wheeled her out of the elevator. He laughed. "Mcgee's already on it."

Five minutes later, Abby was situated in the observation room. The one way window prevented Chip and Michael from seeing her. As far as they knew, she was still in the hospital, fighting for her life. "Where's Ziva?" she asked as Tony and Mcgee entered the room. "The boss said he had something special planned," Tim answered. "He didn't say what, just that you'd like it," Tony added with a laugh. Ducky and Palmer entered, and suddenly the room was very crowded. Tony could have sworn he heard a bell ring twice as Gibbs stormed in, nearly pulling the door off its hinges. "Showtime," he said.

Gibbs glared at the two men before him. It was as if he were eying a pair of steaks. He hadn't said anything since he entered. Chip stared back defiantly. "I'm not afraid of you," he stated. Gibbs smiled as he stood. "Oh, we haven't even started yet. Officer David, come in please." Ziva wasted no time entering, a grim smile on her face. She thought what Gibbs had planned was nothing short of genius. "You two have two choices," Gibbs began. "You can stand up willingly, or I'll yank each one of you out of those chairs." The tone in his voice told them he wasn't playing.

Michael was the first to stand. "Ziva, did you bring the tape measure?" he asked. There was a deadly calm in his voice. Ziva produced a tape measure and measured his width, then his height as Gibbs took notes. "I can't follow this," Tony said as the rest of the team watched from observation. Abby was the first to pick up on it. "He's measuring them for coffins," she explained. Ducky chuckled as he ate a handful of popcorn. "Rather poetic, don't you think?" he asked. Abby thought it was hillarious. Michael stood confused as Ziva finished. She looked Chip dead in the eye. "You're next," she said icily.

"What makes you think I'm going to stand up?" he asked. He was either very brave or very stupid. Gibbs' hand shot out like lightning. It latched around the smaller man's throat, and yanked up. In one fluid motion, Gibbs and Chip were standing, and Chip was finding it difficult to breathe. Gibbs shoved him forward, and his body hit the wall with a crack. He was hauled to his feet and measured. Abby was pleased with how it was going. "Now let's talk woods," Gibbs continued. "I think it's gonna be between pine and cedar." Michael Mauer began to get very afraid as he realized what the measurements were for.

"You...you can't be serious," he stammered. "Note serious face," Gibbs said angrily. Chip tried his luck. "You can't kill us, it's against the law." Ziva laughed. "I didn't see anything," she said as she stood next to Gibbs. "I have news for you, nothing's being recorded. My entire team will act as witnesses that I had nothing to do with it." Dinozzo smirked as he watched. "You got that right," he said as he ate. "Besides, who said anything about killing you?" Gibbs said as he got up. "You mysteriously vanished," he said with a laugh. Ziva was more than ready for what was to come. "Hard to prove murder without bodies," she said grimly.

Abby couldn't contain her glee. She got on the mic and said, "Hey, Chip, what would you like your tombstone to say?" she asked. She laughed as they realized she was there the whole time. She particularly enjoyed watching Chip's face fall when he heard her voice. "Ooh, I know! It can say Here lies Chip Sterling. He had no idea what he was messing with." Gibbs could barely restrain himself from laughing. His cell went off as the laughter died down. "Gibbs," he answered.

He left the room without warning. Chip thought this would be a smart time to swing on Ziva. He threw a single left hook that didn't even connect. Ziva caught him in an armbar and slammed him on the table. "Try that again, and I'll tear it off and beat you to death with it!" Her tone was deadly serious. Everyone in observation cringed at the impact of Chip's body hitting the metal table. Michael just cowered in the corner.

Gibbs reentered the room as Chip painfully pulled himself off of the table, cradling his arm. He noticed the dent and asked, "What happened?" Ziva smiled. "Chip got brave." He was expecting that. He went straight to business. "What did the director want?" she asked. "She wanted me to offer her condolences to the deceased," he answered as he looked at their prisoners. "Ziva, blindfolds," he ordered. He laughed as Michael Mauer pissed his pants.


	14. Epilogue

**Ch.14 Epilouge**

Michael Mauer could see only darkness through his blind fold. He tasted fresh air as Gibbs escorted him outside. Gibbs shoved him and his accomplice in the back of a truck and slammed the door. His paranoia heightened as the truck's engine roared to life. He was knocked to one side as the truck took off. Gibbs put the pedal to the metal. He opened the latch as he drove and shouted back "Comfortable?" He was answered by a series of groans and undecipherable curse words. Ziva laughed in the passenger seat. And they thought she was a bad driver.

Two hours later, they reached their destination. They were convinced they were in some cemetary. Michael could still feel the wetness between his legs from when he'd pissed his pants earlier. He'd began saying prayers as he was removed from the truck. The two men stumbled even more from the after effects of Gibbs' driving than they had from Ziva's. The two were marched for a brief period, then they entered a building.

Dinozzo chuckled to himself as he got out of the car he and Mcgee had followed Gibbs in. He'd never seen Gibbs drive so fast before in his life. "Note to self, Probie," he said as Tim got out of the car. "Never bury Abby alive." Tim thought this was an important piece of wisdom. "Trust me, Tony. I wouldn't dream of it." He smiled as he entered the building. The two NCIS agents proceeded to the large gathering before them.

Gibbs laughed as he observed the distress his prisoners were exibiting. He decided to milk a little more out of it. "We are gathered here to return to the earth, Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling," Gibbs said in mock ceremony. Abby was next to him in her wheelchair, and she was truly enjoying the scene before her. "May god have mercy," Gibbs paused briefly for dramatic effect. "On their souls." Michael almost pissed his pants again as he was shoved forward. He heard a stagger and knew that Chip had been shoved too.

"Ziva, remove their blindfolds," Gibbs ordered. As sight returned to him, Michael Mauer was expecting to see a wooden box in front of him. He was surprised when he saw that he was in a prison cell. The door slammed behind them, and he collapsed to the floor and wept. Gibbs stood outside the cell and laughed. "You didn't think I was gonna send you boys on a vacation did you?" he asked. Chip had tried to remain calm through the whole thing, but it shook him up, too. "Where the hell are we?" he angrily demanded of Gibbs.

Gibbs smiled. "Your in the brig at the marine base in Quantico." Chip fumed. This was perfect. There was no way they should have been caught. If only his partner wasn't a complete moron. "Don't worry, you two will be here till your trial," Ziva said. At this, Chip banged on the bars. He figured he'd try his luck. "At least I was right. You were all to gutless to kill us." Gibbs turned and looked Chip right in the eye. "Oh, you think you're getting off easy? You have no idea what you're in store for. I think you two will be very popular where you're going." He looked at the MPs that were assigned guard duty. "If these two step even an inch out of line, make sure they regret it."

The MPs snapped Gibbs a salute at once and said "YES SIR!" Gibbs returned the salute and left the base with his team. There was nothing more to see here. As he returned to the navy yard he was met by an approving smile from his director. "Well played, Jethro," she said as he entered. Gibbs remininced briefly on the conversation he'd had with the director outside the interrogation room.

_"I understand your desire to make them pay, but you're not serious, are you?" She tried to read Gibbs' face, but it got her nowhere. "Please tell me you're not going to kill them, Jethro. I can't condone that." Gibbs laughed. "Killing them would be too easy, Jen." He explained that they would go to trial, oh yes. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun. Jenny was so impressed she wanted in on it. "Tell them they have my condolences and that they will be missed," she said with a wink. He nodded as he went to open the door. "Will do, Jen," he said._

Two months later, and the trial for Michael Mauer and Charles Sterling had concluded. Both men recieved life sentences with the chance of parole in fifty years. During that time, Gibbs and his team had traced the GHB that Michael and Chip used to drug Abby. They found the dealer, to whom Michael had foolishly mentioned the name of the person who refered him: Nathan Davis.

Needless to say he was surprised when Dinozzo and Ziva kicked his door in and brought him in for questioning. As soon as Abby's name was dropped, he gave NCIS his full cooperation. Because he did not actually give the drugs to the accused, he was offered a most generous plea bargain in return for his services. He recieved a six month sentence, of which he'd only serve three for good behavior. He specifically asked to be Michael Mauer's cell mate. It was a request Gibbs himself was only too happy to grant.

As he entered his cell, Michael cowered. "I told you that if your little GHB favor came back to bite me I'd hang you out to dry," he said in a tone that almost betrayed the threat behind it. A girlish scream was heard on the cell block as Mr. Mauer became acquainted with his room mate. The various guards and prisoners that had aided in Michael and Chip's escape at Leavenworth recieved between five and fifteen year sentences each. More than a few were kicking themselves in the ass for being strung along the way they had been.

Abby recovered the use of her legs two months after her kidnappers had been apprehended, just in time for their trial. Her testimony was crucial to their conviction. The jury ate it up. Gibbs and his entire team were in the audience when their sentence was handed down, and they celebrated at Crazy Al's Pub. Al was overjoyed that Abby was not dead.

The End.

_Author's note: I'd like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story. Your feedback was most appreciated, and I hope you will read future stories that I have coming out. Writing this was a blast!_


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